Reviews

Condemned: Criminal Origins

Once you've got a weapon in-hand, you can use it to bash your foes senseless. Condemned features the finest implementation of first-person melee combat we've ever seen, artfully mixing a number of elements. Judging your target's distance is essential, as is timing your strike. If you swing and miss, you'll be left open to a counterattack from your enemies, and they will quickly respond with a jarring blow to your head. You can also block your opponents' blows, a move that can be a bit risky since you've got to time it perfectly. While it will undoubtedly take you a while to get used to the up-close-and-personal action in Condemned, you'll be rewarded with the most brutally visceral combat ever seen in a first-person game.

Occasionally, the long stretches of combat and exploration are interrupted by sequences that task the player with using CSI-style forensic tools to essentially move the story along. Thomas is equipped with a number of gadgets that allow him to find evidence or clues, which he can then transmit back to the female lab technician that's aiding him. While the game's forensic elements are theoretically intriguing, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. You can only use the tools when Thomas enters an "instinct area" (like any good investigator, he's got psychic abilities), and you'll basically be walked through the sequence step-by-step. Since they're not a challenge in any sense of the word, the forensic elements are generally only used to progress the storyline.

While some of the games that will be launching with the Xbox 360 don't really look as "next-gen" as people had hoped, Condemned's visuals are jaw-droppingly detailed. Everything in the game, from the pitted and crumbling walls to the debris littering the environment, sports realistic textures, with particular attention paid to the implements of carnage you'll wield. Although the environments themselves look great, exploring the dark, narrow corridors and dreary open spaces starts to feel repetitive (especially when you're forced to backtrack) by the time you get to the end. Still, there's no denying that urban blight has never looked this good.

Since you spend so much of your time in near-total darkness, being able to hear the approach of your enemies is becomes even more important. Thankfully, Condemned features some of the best sound design to grace a video game, using it to fuel your fear and paranoia. Nearly every object in the game world can be moved in some way, whether it's intentional or not. This results in a lot of self-induced fear, as you're bound to accidentally kick debris while stumbling around in the dark. You'll be able to hear your enemies coming, and the ensuing combat is loud and nasty.

While it borrows elements from both traditional first-person shooters and survival horror games, Condemned: Criminal Origins manages to offer players a unique experience. The combat is unflinchingly brutal, the atmosphere is as disturbing as any we've seen, and you'll find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Like a good horror movie, there are plenty of jump-out-of-your-seat scares, but the game is just as effective when you're imagining what could happen.